


MANIFESTO V. In bad dreams in a cool world full of cruel things¹

by Ex-Genesis (SevlinRipley)



Category: The Faculty (1998)
Genre: M/M, Meta, Picspam, Ship Manifesto
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-03-05
Updated: 2017-03-05
Packaged: 2018-09-28 08:54:37
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,007
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10082366
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SevlinRipley/pseuds/Ex-Genesis
Summary: A school in Ohiocirca1998 is invaded by aliens who inhabit the brains of the faculty members, and then overtake the student body. As the adults have their faculties removed (ha ha) select students are forced to protect themselves against overwhelming odds.That's how Zeke and Casey come to an alliance.





	

**the movie:**  
A school in Ohio _circa_ 1998 is invaded by aliens who inhabit the brains of the faculty members, and then overtake the student body. As the adults have their faculties removed (ha ha) select students are forced to protect themselves against overwhelming odds.

**casey connor:**  
Poor Casey... So average that he's below average. A socially stunted student photographer in a football town. He's a burden to his parents, and doesn't even exist when it comes to his schoolmates. Oh wait, I'm sorry... Did I say his classmates didn't know he existed? My bad. He wishes! Casey gets bullied on the daily. Another prime example of why humanity needs ~~to be euthinized~~ help.

 **zeke tyler:**  
The truth is, Zeke is a bit of an asshole. His morals are maligned; he's selling NC-17 movies out of the trunk of his car on school grounds. He's pretty much the underground crime boss of Herrington High. At least he's intelligent, right? Not that it matters, because he's being neglected by his parents who are never home. He even tried to get their attention by flunking out his senior year, to no avail. ( _That_ 's sure gonna bite him in the ass.) But he's rich too, so there's that!

**THE SHIP**

* * *

I'm not going to lie and say there's a ton of canon to back this ship up. A lot of what sails this ship is fanon, certain fans being able to piece together that their personalities work well when coupled, chemistry that is abstract and emotional rather than concrete. Sure, maybe it goes along too well with the trope in which being in danger together means falling in love together. It's fair play though, as this movie canonically pairs people off for the very same reason. I mean, yes, they try to show a chemistry between the pairs before everything goes to hell, but nothing that ever would have become _real_ hadn't the world subsequently fallen apart. (Also, can I just note that Delilah ditched the fuck out of Casey when he slipped, while trying to escape? Some future girlfriend!) Besides, just because a terrifying situation opens your eyes to something, doesn't mean your eyes will close just because it's over. Necessarily.

Although on shallow, visible levels, Casey and Zeke are very different from each other² deep down they share fundamental views on the world, or at least their town. Zeke's been abandoned by his parents physically, which may as well be mentally. To a similar end, Casey's parents belittle him and are put-upon by his very existence. Either way, they are unwanted, and unnecessary props in their parents' lives. Zeke may be loud and out there, have interactions with his class mates which are less than painful, but he still doesn't have their respect. Or any real friendships for that matter. People use him, and he's learned to make a living off of it. Casey, most certainly doesn't have any friends or respect. He just gets the worse end of the stick by being physically abused along with it.

After Casey finds an odd pod-like 'thing' in the football field at lunch, he brings it to show his science teacher. This is a class Zeke and Casey share, which brings us to their second scene together. Everyone but Zeke is gathered around one of the lab tables where Professor Furlong is using a microscope to study the pod, which turns out to be an unfamiliar species of some kind. The professor hypothesizes as to what kind of species/pod creature it might be, and for the second time in the movie, Zeke vocalizes his intelligence by supplying the understandable definition, from where he's sitting, un-involved, but obviously paying attention.

Furlong goes on to say he thinks Casey may have, in fact, discovered a new species. Zeke's curiosity is awakened, and he moves over to the lab table to take a closer look, touching Casey as he takes his place. (Don't mind sweet lil' MaryBeth being a creep in the background.)

I know, it sucks. We're halfway into the movie before the third time Casey and Zeke are even near each other, and all previous interactions have been milliseconds long, if that. Like I said, you have to fill in a lot of blanks and use your imagination...

So, we're really getting into the meat of the issues now. The faculty is completely gone along with half the student body. We've seen a dead teacher, one teacher being injected with a parasite, a police officer being taken, a formerly sweet and shy teacher lash out in the most beautifully bitchy way, and the creatures discovered just yesterday are missing from the science room. Our key players are finally assembling:

  * Grade A Bitch!Delilah
  * Actual Cinnamon Roll!Stan
  * Hidden Feelings!Stokely
  * Honey Sweet!MaryBeth
  * Terrorized!Casey
  * Cool Guy!Zeke



Casey and Stokely have sussed out that the issue with everyone is very likely an alien invasion of sorts à la _The Body Snatchers_ / _The Puppet Masters_. NEWS FLASH! Science Fiction _isn't_ fiction, _just_ science! Well, creative science, anyway. They're doing their best to convince Delilah and Stan of this when Zeke and MaryBeth overhear them from an adjacent room and decide to crash the party.

Did I mention Zeke's an asshole? We're having an intense conversation about the fall of humanity here, and this jerk decides to barge into the room yelling in anguish, pretending to be hurt. Thanks for the jump scare, buddy. MaryBeth follows shortly, giggling, which causes Casey to heave a sigh of relief, and be _super_ unimpressed.

He goes on to say Casey's name as though talking to a child. At least he says it at all, question mark? Here's the full quote if you want to see how much of a dick he really is: **" _Casey_. Man, the only person in this school who's an alien - is _you_."** Casey replies, **" _Fuck_ you, Zeke."** So as you can see, things are going really well!

Honestly, I headcanon that Zeke really never pays any attention to Casey. He knows his name, probably actually knows a lot more about Casey than anyone would expect. They grew up in the same town, went to the same schools, and were presumably only one grade apart until this year. They're so aware of each other, so built into each other's world, that they're like a piece of furniture one mindlessly revolves around, because they're so used to each other's presence and simultaneous insignificance lest they trip over each other. For the first time in maybe ever, Casey has gotten Zeke's attention.

Not only did he discover a new species, but now he's trying to throw together a rag tag gang of alien-defeaters. And Zeke's bored. He's always so, _so_ bored. So, what does Zeke do with things which have gained his attention? He takes his silent calculations, and aims for the weak spots. It's how our emotionally stunted friend shows his affection. I swear. Lucky for Zeke (give-me-attention-back!Zeke) Casey is just done enough with this shit, that he actually hits back. Albeit weakly, because he's not a violent or malicious person at his core. He's barely self-preserving at _all_. That's the benefit of being attacked, though; you find out whether you have it in you to fight for yourself.

Anyway, Zeke wants to have at least a little bit of fun. He says a sarcastic, **"Ow,"** in response to Casey, and then makes his way even closer. As this is happening, Professor Furlong enters the classroom to ask why they're gathered there. Of course, Zeke is the first to speak up. **"Well, you see it's like this, Mr. Furlong: Casey here,"** he starts, once again touching Casey because of reasons, **"He thinks you're an alien."** Good. Mhm. Set Casey up to be murdered. Nicely done, Zeke. Sigh... Just look at that shit-eating grin.

Of course, if he wanted to rile things up, make something interesting happen, he succeeded. Professor Furlong pulls down the blinds of his classroom door, and is behaving strangely. The entire group visibly tenses. Even Zeke's uncomfortable with the reaction he's getting, and he's ready to peace out.

Furlong's not having it, though.

The teacher requests his students take a seat. And then shoves Zeke down as hard as he possibly can... At which point sweet Casey goes heroic, and moves to shove the professor right back. Unfortunately aliens have good reflexes, and Furlong grabs Casey by the throat. While Casey has him distracted, Zeke is able to get up, grab the blade off the handy paper cutter, and make a machete. **"Put him the _fuck_ down, Mr. Furlong."**

This is where Zeke finds out a way to hurt the parasites. He successfully got Casey released, to then have himself thrown down, blade removed, and very nearly transformed himself. Spoiler Warning: this entire manifesto is a spoiler, but I won't say what kills the bad guys, just yet.

Cool Guy!Zeke's face when he looks at a dead Mr. Furlong, someone _he_ killed, is heart-breaking. Even though he didn't show that raw emotion to the others, he does seem distraught, unusually quiet for a moment, while Stan, the former quarterback launches naturally into giving orders when the adrenaline is pumping. Casey looks at Zeke, and he sees...

They decide to leave as a pack. Play it cool on the way out to the parking lot. But as they're walking, they realize: it's not half the school anymore. It's everyone. Except them. And Zeke is genuinely on the verge of a break. Crying, and red-eyed as they make their way passed everyone they've known their whole lives - except they're not _there_ , anymore.

As they make it onto the asphalt, Zeke and Casey gravitate towards each other. Zeke's composed himself enough to step back into Alpha-Leader mode. **"My car,"** he says, pulling out his keys. Casey asks, **"Where are we going?"** Someone answers on behalf of Zeke, unfortunately. But they _were_ teaming up, becoming a pair.

As soon as they get in the car, it's obvious that the whole town has been taken, not just the school, and the cops. The radio is dead air. They make their way to Zeke's abandoned house to gather their thoughts and make a plan.

Casey touches on a sore subject, asking where Zeke's mom and dad is. Although it's out of concern, rather than malice. **"Europe. I think,"** Zeke replies, honestly, even though he doesn't have to. The subject is dropped, though, as everyone is blown away by Zeke's full-on drug lab. Or so it seems. MaryBeth stumbles onto something, but Zeke quickly covers it up with a towel. The stuff 'gauraunteed to jack you up' he's been peddling? At least mostly caffeine pills.

This kind of makes me laugh, but as Zeke rounds the table to his microscope, he taps his chest at Casey, signaling to give him the alien-parasite that popped out of Furlong during all the commotion. Maybe it's because I've never noticed it before, or maybe it's because _I_ didn't even realize what he wanted till Casey pulled out his collection jar. As Zeke begins examining it, however, Casey sees a gun just lying out in the open, and gives Zeke a _look_. To which Zeke replies with a _smirk_.

**!UPCOMING SPOILERS!**   
**!UPCOMING SPOILERS!**   
**!UPCOMING SPOILERS!**

They throw the boys into a few more frames together, just them. (Pictures not included as they are not pertinent or monumental.)

Upon confirming the parasite theory, everyone begins playing detective, making accusations. Pointing out reasons why anyone in the room could be one of 'them.' So the suggestion is made: try the drugs. They know for a fact that the parasites can't take that level of dehydration, and will kill them. It's a good test. Everyone just has to agree to take it.

Zeke makes Casey do it first. **"It's your birthright, man."** What a d-bag. Also I just headcanon that he wants more reasons to talk to and interact with Casey. It's just not a good time to do it for fun, so instead he's trying to simultaneously save the world. **" _Just fucking take it_ ," **Zeke continues, now sounding genuinely concerned. What if Casey is one of them? What if this whole time they've been interacting, betrayal is right around the corner? What it would mean for Zeke to find out that all of this was fake...

Earnestly trying to prove he's still human, Casey goes at the pen hard. **"Easy, boy,"** Zeke says, gently, reaching out to take the drugs back. Now, Casey legitimately wigs out on whatever the hell Zeke has laced his caffeine pills with. Stan gets freaked out, understandably, because Casey sounds fucking _insane_. He grabs the gun, pointing it at Casey, asking what's 'wrong with him' - and Zeke _lays in_. **" _Nothing_ 's wrong with him, asshole. He's tweakin'! Let him _fuckin_ ' tweak!"** So Stan turns the gun on Zeke, and advises him to take a hit as well. Which, bless, because Zeke was trying to get out of it like an idiot. Obviously you can't fucking skip doing it, dumb ass. You're not immune to the parasites!

These ^ are just for me, cause they're so pretty. And I guess because he used the same pen as Casey when everyone else got their own. Some shit goes down, turns out Delilah was lying in wait with her alien self. In the panic upon finding out one of them was actually one of 'them' and because everyone else is high off their asses, Casey grabs the gun and points it at Zeke for no apparent reason? Like genuinely - what??? Casey put that shit down.

By now, Zeke is Casey's official protector, however, so when Zeke calmy says, **"Shoot her. Shoot her in the head, Casey,"** Casey listens, swiftly turning the gun toward Delilah instead. Casey does hesitate to actually shoot, however.

Stan, formerly Delilah's boyfriend, is telling him not to at the same time as Zeke is telling him more and more urgently to do so. Also, Casey had feelings for Delilah. He becomes overwhelmed with such a descision. Unfortunately, even though Stokely takes the gun to do it herself, Delilah gets away.

Sobered, Casey tries to right his wrong by telling Zeke they can get her back, get all of them back, if they just find a way to stop the leader. Everyone, in theory, will be human again. Themselves. Casey continues to reassure Zeke, and Zeke ends up giving him the most adorable puppy dog eyes.

Zeke does get angry a moment later, yelling a loud, **" _Fuck_!"** Whether it's because he realized he could've caused the death of someone else, or if he's just losing faith in their ability to make it, I am not sure. It's entirely possible a mixture of both caused his final reaction. He certainly couldn't be blamed. Additionally, he's a year older than the others; he probably feels a responsibility for them even though realistically he's still just a kid himself. Either way, he feels he's losing his grip on the situation.

It worries Casey, though. He _needs_ Zeke.

What's left of the gang decides to head into the heart of danger to find the parasitic alien queen amongst the town's football junkies. They split up, Stokely and Stan getting dropped off by the field, where the football team is gradually leaking parasites into the brains of their visiting team. They are scouting the crowds for Principal Drake, whom the mistakenly think is the queen, and then head back to meet up with the others in the gym once they spot her.

They kill the principal, and Stan volunteers to go check out the townspeople to see if everyone is cured. Before he leaves, Stokely pulls him in for a kiss. It's absolutely adorable and the only canon ship worth getting behind. Casey apparently agrees, because he can't hide his smile and amusement, despite their dark situation. Zeke follows suit, looking first at Casey for a sense of camaraderie, and then back at Stokely. It's a sweet as hell moment that proves how young Zeke still is at heart.

Of course, the fun isn't going to last for long... Sadly, the aliens are still at large. And Stan - well, Stokely's going to be grateful she kissed him when she had the chance. Along with Stan's soul went the last of the drugs. Well, except for the stash Zeke _might_ have in his trunk. Outside. Where the aliens are.

Yes! Finally they get paired off, just Zeke, and Casey. Being the heroes. Together.

They're making their way to Zeke's car when the entire football team begins approaching. Casey lightly touches/pushes Zeke, as they move down toward the ground together, and into a hiding spot. Okay so I kind of want to punch Casey in the shoulder for this, but he asks if it really takes two people to get to Zeke's car. **"Nope. One of us - is the decoy,"** Zeke replies. Kinda punched yourself in the shoulder there, didn't ya Case?

So Casey scurries out from under the bus, pulling the gaze of the aliens momentarily before slipping onto another bus. They both get attacked, but at least Zeke gets what he went out there for. And Casey makes it back into the gym.

MaryBeth reveals to Stokely that she's the queen alien just as Casey comes in. They run together, but Stokes takes several hits before they finally make it into the locker room where they hide from a now-naked MaryBeth. Zeke joins them, then, and figures out (because nudity is so subtle) that he should stick MaryBeth with one of the pens. As he raises his arm to do so, Stokely grabs him, and you find out she's been turned as well. Luckily, Casey is near by to pull her off of Zeke.

It's literally just them now. Them against the world, basically.

Casey throws Stokely into one of those gear cages and locks her in. Zeke catches up with him, and tells him to take one of the drug pens. When Casey starts heading off to give MaryBeth a hit, Zeke grabs him, shoves him up against a locked, and tells _him_ to sniff it. **"You're outta your fuckin' mind,"** Casey asks him.

Normally I'd say he's an idiot for asking, but - I kind of feel like maybe he was just felt so secure in the knowledge that he and Zeke were going to make it. Together. So much so that his mind didn't even think, 'I need to prove myself because Stokely just went bat-shit.' Instead he was wondering why the fuck Zeke was wasting both time and the drugs on _him_. **"I'm not taking any more chances,"** Zeke says, as he wraps his hand up in Casey's shirt, **"I leave for five minutes and I come back and everyone's a fuckin' alien."** Casey swipes Zeke's hand away (sadly) and does the hit, and he's fine, but meanwhile MaryBeth was moving her giant tentacle body to hover over them...

They run from MaryBeth together, but then the drugs start kicking in for Casey, and while it doesn't crack him out like the previous time, it isn't settling well at all. Zeke didn't realize Casey was no longer behind him however, so they end up getting separated. (Sigh... This is the part that fucks me up every time. I have such a deep fear that Zeke will get taken that every time I watch this movie I _know_ it's going to happen. I insert a scene in my mind in which Zeke is gone, and lying to Casey about it for a soft second, and then Bam! The horrific reveal. I genuinely don't know what it is that I can't wrap my head around the fact that _ZEKE IS OKAY_. Maybe in doing this manifesto, it will finally solidify for me and I can stop having fucking anxiety over this. :( Like, genuinely thought it was going to happen, I wrote the underlined portion as that scene was happening, where the images above end. The rest of this paragraph I am writing as the movie is coming to a close and Zeke. Was. Fine. The. Whole. Time. )³

Anyway. Casey didn't even know they were apart for a minute, because his vision was so fucked up. When he realizes, he whispers Zeke's name, and visibly panics.

So... yeah, Zeke gets thrown over the lockers by MaryBeth, and Casey just has to watch him fly over his head. Casey immediately runs to Zeke's side. But... MaryBeth is soon rounding the corner before Casey can get Zeke up off the floor. Smarty pants that he is, he back up into Stokely's cage, who grabs hold of his hair and calls out to let MaryBeth know where he was. He rips his own hair out to get away, bless him.

In order to end this, Casey maneuvers around the room, and stalking MaryBeth, back to Zeke's unconscious body where he can grab the drug pens.

Casey saves the world, and then heads back into the locker room. I guess he checks on Stokely first because she was actually turned into an alien, and this is how he can verify killing the queen actually worked. Zeke, ever fucking with us, slams himself up against the chain link fence, gasping for air. He presses his face to the fence, and then lets his eyes close, feeling safer, I guess, near Casey. After letting out a couple expletives, Casey relaxes once he realizes Zeke is fine. **"It's over?"** Zeke asks, sounding almost numb. **"Yeah,"** Casey breathes out. Actual sweet baby child Zeke, still pressed to the chain, smiles - then the relief high kicks in, and they start laughing. Fade to black.

**THE END**

* * *

**notes:**  
₁The title is taken from [Lorn's "Acid Rain"](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nxg4C365LbQ).

₂The first time Zeke and Casey are technically in a scene together, Zeke is selling fake IDs to idiots who don't trust him, and pawning off his own drug concoction as a way to seal the deal. Just on the other side of the bathroom stall, Casey is trying not to cry as he shoves toilet paper at his bleeding nose, and holds his aching crotch in post-bullying ritual. They're in each other's space, but separated.

₃Yes, I realize there are extremely valid theories out there suggesting that the end we were given was not of aliens being conquered, but human monsters being conquered instead. Zeke's on the football team, and his teacher-crush is there to see him practice. Stokely is wearing lavender for the first time in maybe ever, and she's dating Stan. Casey's not being bullied anymore (presumably) and Delilah is now his girlfriend. Everything's just _this_ side of too peachy. There was plenty of time for Zeke to have been - entered - and what if the pods that fell out of everyone's bodies really were just the shells, because once the final person was taken, and the queen 'destroyed' they were able to fully assimilate into the bodies they were given? They, being the aliens.

Right, but... I don't think this is the case. It'd break my heart if so, and I do understand that the likelihood of this theory being actual canon is pretty high, but I just feel like... why would the news have covered it? If everyone on earth is going to become an alien, they'll know where the hell they came from, so it would be pointless to write articles about the legitimacy of E.T. claims, and doing stories about 'mysteriously missing teachers.' Being that the media is my only line of defense, however, I can't really say I've convinced myself the aliens didn't win. **fandom:**

_Communities -_

  * [Jacked Up](http://jacked-up.livejournal.com/)
  * [CZ Valentines](http://cz-valentines.livejournal.com/)
  * [Fanlore](https://fanlore.org/wiki/The_Faculty) (The fansite Decoy, mentioned has an archive reference [here](http://archive.li/LneM6).)
  * [FanHistory](http://www.fanhistory.com/wiki/The_Faculty)



_Graphics -_

  * Icons [here](http://angelic-pics.livejournal.com/19216.html) by [angelic_pics](http://angelic-pics.livejournal.com/)
  * Icons [here](http://nachtschade.livejournal.com/268621.html) by [nachtschade](http://nachtschade.livejournal.com/)
  * Icons [here](http://www.livejournal.com/allpics.bml?user=gabi_fics) by [gabi_fics](http://gabi-fics.livejournal.com/) and [aliensouldream](http://aliensouldream.livejournal.com/)



_Fanfiction -_

  * [AO3](http://archiveofourown.org/tags/Casey%20Connor*s*Zeke%20Tyler/works)
  * [FF.net](https://www.fanfiction.net/search.php?keywords=Casey%2FZeke&ready=1&type=story)
  * [A-FF.org](http://movies.adult-fanfiction.org/index.php?cat=1025)
  * [MTEA.net](http://www.morethaneitheralone.net/the-faculty-fan-fiction.html)
  * [SC.net](http://lauramason.slashcity.net/thoughts.html)
  * [Nullsechs.net](http://www.nullsechs.net/fandom/fic.html)
  * [AudioFic](http://www.audiofic.jinjurly.com/category/movie-fandoms/fandomthe-faculty/casey-connor/zeke-tyler)



**official:**

_Interviews -_

  * [Elijah Wood discussing The Faculty on Reddit](https://www.reddit.com/r/IAmA/comments/1gqrz2/i_am_elijah_wood_ama/)



_Sites -_

  * [IMDB](http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0133751/)
  * [Amazon DVD Purchase](https://www.amazon.com/Faculty-Blu-ray-Digital-HD/dp/B00LVZK1H0/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1488668000&sr=8-2&keywords=The+Faculty)
  * [Amazon Rental](https://www.amazon.com/Faculty-Josh-Hartnett/dp/B00AYB0SQQ/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1488668000&sr=8-1&keywords=The+Faculty).




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